Influence of Schirmer strip wetness on volume absorbed, volume recovered, and total protein content in canine tears.

OBJECTIVE: Determine the protein content and volume of tears sampled by Schirmer strips wetness ranging from 20 to 35 mm. ANIMALS STUDIED: Ten healthy beagle dogs. PROCEDURES: Each dog underwent 20 tear collections per day (10 sessions in each eye, spaced by ≥1 h) for 4 separate days, providing 200 tear samples for each length of wetness evaluated: 20, 25, 30, and 35 mm. A Schirmer strip was placed in each eye until the selected mm-mark was reached, calculating the volume absorbed (VA) as the difference between the post- and pre-collection weight (assuming 1 mg~1 µL for tear fluid), and the volume recovered (VR) as the amount pipetted from the tube following centrifugation. Total protein content (TPC) was measured with infrared spectroscopy. Outcome measures were compared with the Kruskal-Wallis test. RESULTS: Median values for VA (µL), VR (µL) and TPC (mg/mL) were as follows: 20 mm (18, 10, 5.94), 25 mm (22, 12.5, 5.97), 30 mm (25.5, 16, 5.89), and 35 mm (31, 22.5, 7.13). Both VA and VR were significantly greater (p < .001) for Schirmer strips wetness of 35¼30¼25¼20 mm. TPC was significantly greater (p < .001) for 35 > 20-30 mm, but not among other groups (p = 1.000). CONCLUSIONS: The study established normative data to consider when canine studies use Schirmer strips to collect tears for bioanalytical purposes (eg, proteomics, pharmacokinetics). Although 35 mm yielded higher VA and VR, the higher TPC could be explained by greater disruption of ocular surface homeostasis. Absorption to 20-30 mm is the suggested length of strip wetness for bioanalytical tear collection in dogs.

Development and application of a colloidal carbon test strip for the detection of antibodies against Mycoplasma bovis.

Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) is an important bovine mycoplasma implicated in economically important clinical diseases, such as respiratory diseases, otitis media, and mastitis. The prevalence of M. bovis-associated mastitis in both cattle and buffaloes has been increasingly recognized as a global problem. High morbidity rates and consequential economic losses have been devastating to the affected cattle and buffalo farms, especially those in developing countries. Therefore, a rapid and accurate method is urgently needed to detect M. bovis. In this study, a rapid and simple lateral flow strip for detecting antibodies against M. bovis was established that used carbon nanoparticles (CNPs) as the labelled materials. The results from the test strip were highly consistent with those from ELISA. The test showed high specificity (100%) and no cross-reaction with other bovine pathogens. The detection sensitivity of the test was also relatively high (97.67%). All the results indicated that the colloidal carbon test strip could serve as a simple, rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic method for detecting antibodies against M. bovis at cattle farms.

Magnetic resonance imaging reveals the complementary effects of decongestant and Breathe Right Nasal Strips on internal nasal anatomy.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: This magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of 26 subjects with nasal congestion was performed to assess in the complete nasal passage both the anatomical effect of the marketed Breathe Right Nasal Strip (BRNS) relative to placebo and the potential adjunctive effect of using a decongestant in combination with the BRNS. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, crossover study. METHODS: The study consisted of two parts, the first involving application of either the BRNS or the placebo strip in a randomized, crossover design with evaluator blinding, and repeated MRI scanning; and the second a sequential process of decongestant administration, MRI scanning, application of the BRNS, and repeated MRI. The same anatomical MRI protocol was used throughout. Nasal patency was assessed in the whole nasal passage and eight subregions (by inferior-superior, anterior-posterior division). Numerical response scores representing subjective nasal congestion were also obtained. RESULTS: Results demonstrate significant anatomical enlargement with the BRNS relative to placebo (P < .001), as well as an additive effect of using a decongestant in combination with the BRNS; both supported by a strong and significant negative correlation with the subjective nasal response measures of nasal congestion (r = -0.98, P = .002). Furthermore, analysis of the nasal subregions indicates that this adjunctive effect arises from a partially localized action of the complementary products: the BRNS acting primarily anteriorly in the nose and the decongestant mainly posteriorly. CONCLUSIONS: The BRNS alone significantly increases nasal patency and alleviates perceived nasal congestion, and additional relief of symptoms can be obtained with simultaneous use of a decongestant. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 1b. Laryngoscope, 126:2205-2211, 2016.

The role and reliability of rapid bedside diagnostic test in early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role and reliability of rapid bedside diagnostic test in early diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis in children using reagent strips. METHODS: This prospective, single blinded study was conducted in the Department of Pediatrics of VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi in collaboration with the Department of Microbiology of VMMC & Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, over a period of 15 mo (August 2009 to Nov 2010). Seventy-five children aged 3 mo to 12 y admitted in the pediatric ward with suspected diagnosis of acute meningitis were included. All enroled patients underwent lumbar puncture. CSF samples were taken and divided in 2 parts for laboratory evaluation and rapid strip analysis. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and the negative predictive values of the reagent strips for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis were calculated. Accuracy of the reagent strips was established using kappa statistics. Latex agglutination for antigen detection and microbiological culture were also done. RESULTS: Highly significant association was observed between CSF examination in routine laboratory method and dipstick method. The number of laboratory values that correlated were- for cells 71(94.63%), for protein 68 (90.67%), for glucose 68(90.67%) out of total 75 cases. The sensitivity and specificity of reagent strip in diagnosing acute bacterial meningitis were 96.7% and 97.8% respectively. The positive predictive and negative predictive values of reagent strip in diagnosing acute bacterial meningitis were 96.7% and 97.8% respectively. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most common organism isolated (50%). CONCLUSIONS: Thus reagent strip analysis is a very rapid, reliable and effective method for diagnosis of acute bacterial meningitis in children. Staphylococcus aureus was the most common organism isolated.

Rhodamine-based derivatives for Cu2+ sensing: spectroscopic studies, structure-recognition relationships and its test strips.

A rhodamine spirolactam/2-hydrazinopyridine derivative was synthesized and characterized, which exhibited high selectivity to Cu(2+) over other metal cations. The Cu(2+) recognition of this rhodamine derivative could be detected by fluorescence spectra, absorption spectra and an obvious color change which was observed easily by naked-eyes. The binding of this rhodamine derivative to Cu(2+) is instantaneous and sensitive. Moreover, a linear relationship was found between the fluorescence intensity at 575 nm from 0.5×10(-6) M to 3.0×10(-6) M of Cu(2+) concentration, and the limit of detection (LOD) was at low concentration of 2.11×10(-8) M, this would benefit for the establishment of standard working curves in practical Cu(2+) detection. Additionally, we synthesized rhodamine spirolactam/2-aminomethylpyridine derivative and rhodamine spirolactam/phenylhydrazine derivative as analogs for elucidate the structure-recognition relationships. Finally, we prepared the test strips of rhodamine spirolactam/2-hydrazinopyridine derivative for practical chromogenic the Cu(2+) detection.